Open access policy

Introduction

The UWL Open Access Policy was originally approved in 2015 as UWL Publications Policy. The updated Policy demonstrates the University’s confidence and maturity with open access publishing, and our wish to further develop a culture of openness in research.

The updated Policy came into effect in January 2021.

The University of West London (UWL) is committed to and supports open access to its research and scholarship, publications and data. UWL recognises the importance open access plays in the dissemination and re-use of research and the increased impact openly accessible research can achieve.

UWL supports both green and gold routes to open access. Green open access is supported by the UWL Repository, and Gold open access by UWL Press.

Policy

1.1 All research and scholarship outputs and research data underpinning the scholarship and research created by UWL staff and students must be recorded in the UWL Repository within three months of acceptance for publication, performance or broadcast.

1.2 Where possible a version of the final output should be included in the repository. This can include, but is not limited to, pre-publication versions of published research

(author accepted manuscripts or pre-prints), final versions of research and scholarship where permitted by copyright or license or recordings of performances.

1.2.1 Outputs which can be included in the repository include, but are not limited to, journal articles, conference proceedings, datasets, presentations, audio and video material, performances, exhibitions, books / monographs and individual book chapters, and scholarly material which contributes to the overall profile of the University of West London. This includes both textual and non-textual outputs.

1.2.2 If embargo is required by the publisher this will be respected, unless a waiver can be sought. In such cases it is still expected that a version of the final output is uploaded to the repository within three months of the date of acceptance, with the output placed under embargo in the repository.

1.2.3 Acceptable exceptions to uploading a version of the final output in the repository include:

• Uploading a version of final output would breach copyright
• Commercial sensitivity
• Confidentiality

1.5 All PhD theses will be deposited in the repository following completion, and made openly accessible at that point.

1.5.1 PhD theses containing third-party copyright, confidential or commercially sensitive material will be placed under embargo. The length of an embargo will be dependent on the individual situation and can include an indefinite length. The length of an embargo will be agreed by the Director of Library Services.

1.5.2 An embargo may be requested for a thesis pending publication.

1.6 Staff leavers’ outputs will remain within the UWL Repository.

1.7 New staff are required to deposit all their research outputs into the UWL Repository within three months of their appointment to the University or provide links to existing open access versions of outputs to the Library Services’ Scholarly Communication team.

Appendix

Author accepted manuscript (AAM) – pre-publication version of a journal article. This is the final peer-reviewed version submitted to the publisher and accepted for publication before typesetting is applied to the text.

Embargo - a time period, during which the version of output archived in the institutional repository is not openly accessible

Gold open access – provides immediate open access on the publisher’s website, typically under a free culture (Creative Commons) licence. There is sometimes, but not always, a cost to the author associated with this type of publishing called an Article Processing Charge (APC).

Green open access – self-archiving of versions (usually pre-publication versions) of outputs published the traditional way (subscription journals). There is no cost to the author associated with self-archiving of pre-publication versions of research outputs in institutional repositories.

Research data - the recorded factual material collected, observed or created for the purpose of analysis to produce original research results.

UWL Repository – institutional repository or permanent and secure online archive which contains research and makes accessible institutional research